Where do I go from here?

Jim Wiehoff · From: Houston, Texas, USA

What is the next best step to get from beginner to intermediate player? I have absorbed a fair amount of Jeff Newman's "Up from the Top" series, practice daily, have played with our band at church a few times, and I'm fairly happy with where I'm at for seven months of playing. Now I could use some advice about the best step to progress to a solid intermediate player. Private lessons? More Jeff Newman tapes? Try to copy steel licks I hear on the radio? Pray for more talent? Any advice that you guys have or things you have done that really pushed your playing to the next level would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

All of the above!

Kirk P Dighton · From: Troy Mills, Iowa

Jim,
The best thing that you can do is to get out and sit beside (set up and play) good players in a friendly atmosphere such as a jam. You will learn more from those people by being pushed in a friendly way. Find a good player who is willing to help you and conduct one on one's. Record your sessions so you can remember what they told / showed you. It is a great instrument to get hooked on. Been playing 2 years and am in the same boat. The advice above came from some of my good friends who are great steel players. Good Luck- Kirk

[This message was edited by Kirk P Dighton on 06 August 2002 at 12:22 PM.]

Sidney Malone · From: Buna, TX

Everything your thinking about is what you need to be doing. I think the most impotant of those is the private lessons. One on one with a really good teacher will save you years of aggrivation. To get a professional player/teacher's advise is worth far more than you can imagine. I'm talking about one who can teach you to play the instrument and not just songs. Good luck in your studies!!

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

All you need is more "Time-in-the-saddle". Play with anyone you can get to let you sit-in. Don't be timid about playing in the deep-end of the pool, you'll be amazed how far some simple "dog paddle" level playing can take you.
The more time you can spend "under-the-gun" in a live playing situation, the better.
IMHO
JE:-)>

Brian Wetzstein · From: Billings, MT, USA

I agree. All of the above is good. Playing in a band was the most helpful step for me. I am still learning, but I record and play live every week.
I found playing in tune with myself and playing in tune with a band to be somewhat different. Start playing live as soon as possible! Have fun!
brian

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

For what it's worth....I'd suggest you find yourself a moderately good/fair vocalist and rythmn guitar player and make it point to get together as often as possible and just play FOR FUN! Forget the pressure of getting into a band, too soon.
I believe too many new players jump right into a band situation and then find themselves overwhelmed or publicly humiliated by their obvious lack of expected playing skills, knowledge of old standard tunes that are frequently played in western bands, how to properly back-up a singer, what fill-ins do to accent the vocalist, how to properly kick off a song, take the instrumental break, and the like.
Listening to "industry signature licks" is almost a must. One doesn't have to play like every other steel player to be good at his craft, however, nothing is more boring to some of us, than to hear a concert violinist playing symphony strains all evening in a western swing or country band
or a heavy, inflexible jazz guitarist playing die-hard jazz licks/cords all night without any other "accepted" twin guitar abilities, etc. Same applies to those self taught rock and roll drummers that admitedly cannot play 3/4 time (waltzes) or use brushes when called for. Same applies to someone wanting to play in a Hawaiian trio and persists in playing nothing but E9th chromatic Nashville licks all evening.
If you've moved beyond what color finger picks to use, metal or plastic, what kind of bar to slide, which way to face your pack-seat while playing, which side of the stage to sit on, and willing to not use right-angle guitar cords (cuts down the accuracy of your music signal, don't you know!) then you're likely ready to play with others.
But if you don't know WHAT to play, or WHEN TO KEEP QUIET, ....you like need more
basic learning before going public, IMHO.
Good luck to you and don't get discouraged. No one said it was going to be easy.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Play to Rhythm tracks should be a big help. They keep you in time and force you to keep up. Billy Phelps at www.fullcirclesound.com has a zillion CD rhythm tracks. He also includes a number chart for each song. The above posts are all great advice. Playing in a band is great also, especially if you can find one that you are the worst player in it. You can learn more this way than if you are the best player in it. The only problem I have with playing in a band, is that if you play before you are ready, the steel guitar will not be "presented" well to the general public. I think all of us should have enough love for the instrument to do it justice when we play live. I like the idea of jamming until things come together for you on steel. I would also work on just trying to be smooth with very simple playing. You will be playing for the general public, not steel guitar players. I think smoothness is the number one thing to work on. Those one or two string melodys if played smoothly will sound wonderful with a band. Use the Forum to ask questions and by all means, get private instruction if at all possible. A teacher can keep you from learning bad habits and can cut right to the chase and show you what you need to know.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I'm with Ray on this one. You cannot beat real "other" musicians. Beg your way into a jam session or possibly practice with a local band , tell them you'll pay !!! just kidding...Work on a few songs with some other musicians, singers etc..this is the next step I feel. You can learn more in one jam session with other musicians than in one by-yourself practice. The only problem you will encounter is once you do it you will want to do it everyday!

go for it..be bold..just do it..
tp

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

pratice

and then.....more pratice

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Tony, thanks to you and George. You know I'm in this same boat. I've played hundreds(thousands?)of gigs, but I've never played out on steel. So if any of you guys around here have a jam, CAN I COME?

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